FIVE-FIGURE crowds are a realistic aim for Bradford in the club’s first season back in Super League in 2026, according to chief executive Jason Hirst.
The Bulls earned promotion via the IMG grading system, improving their score from 12.15 to 14.81 in just one year.
Ahead of a hotly-anticipated top-flight campaign, which will be Bradford’s first for more than a decade, expectations are high.
However, Hirst is not getting carried away at the prospect of Super League returning to the West Yorkshire city.
“We’ll be looking for 13 highly-committed and competitive regular-round Super League performances at home,” he said.
“We’ll also be expecting our fair share of wins, but our on-field goals will remain in-house.
“As for attendances, they’ll depend, to some extent, upon on-field performances, so it’s difficult to say, but I’m confident we’ll have a healthy average with some five-figure crowds in there.”
This year Bradford were the lowest finishers of all next season’s Super League clubs, coming third in the Championship and losing to Toulouse in the play-off semi-finals.
Hirst said his message to any doubters is: “First, that’s fine, you’re entitled to your opinion.
“Second, let’s wait and see if you’re right to doubt – none of us truly know, but time will tell.
“Third, I like nothing more than proving doubters wrong.”